ADAIR CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — A sheriff, coroner, and deputy have all resigned in Adair County this week following a contentious meeting in fiscal court Tuesday night. The resignations go into effect October 1.
Sheriff Josh Brockman has served in law enforcement for 23 years. He was in his second term as Adair County Sheriff.
“I love the job. I love being sheriff,” he said. “I have a wife and three children, and I’ve asked them to give so much over the last 23 years.”
Brockman planned to finish out his term before retiring, but that all changed Tuesday night. During a fiscal court meeting, things got heated when Judge Executive Larry Bryant slid something across the table at one of the magistrates.
“I did that to draw his attention that he has been the stumbling block on the occupational tax,” Bryant said today.
Bryant feels an occupational tax will bring in more revenue, helping Adair County keep its deputies from leaving.
“The money is the reason,” he said. “I think every one of them would have stayed.”
Sheriff Brockman agreed that funding was a problem. But he feels the issues go much deeper.
“The last two years we’ve worked in such a toxic environment,” Brockman said. “It’s just toxic. Besides the environment, you know, you have lack of funds, you have lack of help. We’re not paying our help what we should pay them.”
“Eventually you start taking it home with you, the stress and the workload and the environment. Eventually, it starts coming home with you. That’s where I’ve always drew the line is when my work starts to come through my living room door with me when I come home.”
Things eventually grew to a breaking point Tuesday during the meeting.
“I decided Tuesday I was going to plead my case to the fiscal court one more time,” Brockman said. “Within just a few minutes of me speaking, they were already having a sidebar argument with each other.”
While Brockman, off camera, can be heard speaking, that’s when Bryant made his move.
According to Bryant, “I pushed it (the speaker) over to this magistrate right here and I said, and I’m admitting it, I said, I hope to hell you’re happy.”
“It was at that point right then that I knew that it was time for me to go,” Brockman said.
Of the magistrate, Bryant said, “I had to remind him that I am the beginning and the end of how this county winds up, and they think that they are, and they are to a certain degree. They’re six to one with them, so when they get against me on something, it’s hard for me to get anything passed, good or bad.”
Since announcing his retirement, Brockman has felt plenty of support from the Adair County community.
“It’s been the silver lining I guess in this whole incident,” Brockman said. “It’s really the only thing that’s allowed me to get any sleep, just to be honest with you. I’m thankful to them, and I’m thankful to the Lord that he gave me this opportunity to hold this position.”
